Vehicle.



G. c. KENNEDY. VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, I916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

N Inventor,

Patented Mar. 20, 1917. I

G. G. KENNEDY.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1916.

Patent-ed Mar. 20, 1917.

7 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'Invi'entor,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Gnonenconvm xnimnmr, or WATEBLOO,'IOWA.

VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd Mar.20, 1917,

Application filed June 26, 1916. Serial No. 106,049.

To all whom it my concern:

Be. it known that I, Gnoacn CoLvrN KnN- NEDY, a citizen of the UnitedStates of Y America, and a resident of'Waterloo, Blackhawk county, Iowa,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in vehicles, and the object of myimprovement is to supply a device of this class with a body suspensivelyand resiliently supported on a frame or chassis to permit it to yield.Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said vehicle as mounted oncarrying-wheels, and Fig. 5 is another side elevation showingsled-runners substituted for the front swinging wheels.

Similar numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout theseveral views.

The frame of'my improved vehicle is composed of a longitudinallyarranged'bar or tube 14 connected fixedly by a T.-coupling 13 at one endto the rear tubular standard 12, the lower end of the latter beingcoupled I at 11 to the rear axle 8,the axle being rotaend of the tube 14to roc laterally in said table in the coupling-sleeve 1-1.Carryingwheels 7 are secured fixedly on opposite ends of said axle. Aforward tubular standard 4 is mounted in a T-couplin 5 on the forwardcoupling. The lower end of the standard 4 .is fixed in a T-coupling 10mounted on the forward axle 3, rotatable wheels 2 being mounted on theends of the axle. Above the coupling 5, a sleeve is fixed onsaidstandard having oppositely extending lateral stirrups or foot-pedals 6for steering purposes, but a handwheel or other steering-means ma bemounted on said standard if desired.

he body 1 is of a canoe shape, but of course, may be of any otherdesired configuration. It may be in like halves .with

meeting fianges 28 having registering rivet or bolt-holes 29 withinwhich may be placed securing-means, such as rivets 33. Openings 30 and31 in the bottom of said body are located to permit the passagetherethrough of the standards 4 and 12 respectivel On the upper ends ofsaid standards are secured the eye-bars 20 and 24 respectively.

Eye-bolts 23 and 27 are secured in said body at or near its bottom atopposite sides, and at front and rear thereof, respectively. Resilientconnections, preferably the coiled tension springs22 and links 21 infront and the like springs 26 and links 25 in the rear connect theeye-bolts 23 and 27 with the eye'- bars 20 and 24 respectively. Theseresilient connections are directed obliquely downwardlyand outwardlyfrom the said eyebars, being also oblique forwardly and reap wardly.

The sides of the body are connected rig-' idly near the top and to therear of the mid- I 3 dle by. a strong cross-bar 18 of cylindrical form.A seat 19 has a pair of laterallyspaced depending lugs which are mountedpivotally on the cross-bar 18 to permit the seat to rock forward andback thereon, one.

of the lugs being longer to form an arm 17.

A pitman 15 is connected by means of a universal-joint 1 6 to the lower.end of the arm; 17, the rear end of the pitman being pivoted to a crank9 integral with the rear axle .8.

When the person seated on the seat 19 has I rocked the seat to theposition indicated by .the full lines in 1, the pitman and crank are inproper posltions to be moved to start the vehicle in either a forwarderback direction, the crank being off a dead-center. The seat may berocked rearwardly to move the vehicle forwardly, or many be rockedforwardly to move it rearwardly, as isindicated by the twosets of dottedlines in Fig. 1. Continued rocking of the seat will move the vehiclecontinuously along, the

inertia of momentum thereof serving to prevent the crank-connection fromstopping on a dead-center.

The steering-wheels 2 are of small enough diameter to permit them to berocked laterally through any desirable angle by means 2 of the use, ofthe steering stirrups 6, operable by the feet, which leaves the arms ofthe user free for other purposes. As shown in Fig. 5, sled-runners 35may be substituted for the front wheels 2, and the rear wheels incasedin armor 36, to permit the vehicle to be moved over ice or snow.

Since the body 1 is hung on springs which are suspended obliquelyrelative to both the longitudinal .and transverse planes thereof,

. the bodywill yield resiliently in any d1- strengthened where it isordinarily insufii-- of the limbs, the body of the rider. is

ciently exercised.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1; In a vehicle, a hollow body, a frame inclosed therein,carrying-wheels for said body, said body having openings, supportsconnected between said wheels and said frame and passed through saidopening,

frame and said body adapted to allow the body to swing yieldingly inanydirection from its points of support.

2. In a vehicle, a hollow body, .a frame in- I. closed therein, forward,and rear carryingwheels,

- .ward wheels having. connecting-means to ings and .a apted for rockinglaterally, and

said frame assed'through one of said openthe rear wheels mounted'on anaxle rotatable in a bearing-connection passed through another ofsaid-openin and connected rigidly to said frame, and yieldable resilientconnections between said body and said frame.

7 3. In a vehicle, a hollow body having openings, a'frame locatedwithinsaid body with extensions projecting through said openings, means fortransportation mounted on said extensions without said body, andmovableconnections between said body and said frame located within saidbody. v

4." In a vehicle, a hollow. body, aframe located within the body,means'for transportation connected to said frame including a steeringdevice, driving-mechanism.mounted on said body and operatively connectedto which causes the rider" another of said orifices into and yieldableresilient connections between said 8. Ina vehicle, a frame, a

said body having openings, the forbetween said body and frame. I 5. Inavehicle, a hollow body having orific esin its bottom, rearcarrying-wheel's mounted on an axle provided with a crank,

forward carrying-wheels rotatable on an said meansfor transportation,and movable supporting connections axle, a rock-shaft passed through oneof said orifices into said body I ward axle'fixed thereon to be rockedlaterally therewith, an upright passed through said body, hav-' ing saidrear axle rotatably mounted on its; lower end, a longitudinal frame-barwithin said body rigidly connected to the rear upright and pivotallyconnected to rockshaft, yieldable resilient connections between theupper ends of said rock-shaft and said rear'upright and opposite partsof the forward and rear ends of the body respectiveliy adapted toallowthe body to swing yiel ingly and suspensively in any direction,

a aseat mounted on said body to oscillate therein, anddrivingconnections between said seat and the crank-on the rear axle.

6. In a vehicle, a frame," and .a "body inclosing said frame andyiel'dably resiliently supported thereon. a 7. In a vehicle, a frame, ahollow body inclosing said frame and yieldably resiliently s u portedthereon, and means for propelling said vehicle ineither direction.

, body inclosing said frame, and yieldable resilient connections.connected diver gingly between said frame and said body. I 9. In avehicle, a frame, a body inclosing said frame, and yieldable resilientconnec--' tions connected between said frame and said body within saidbody for suspendingthe body resiliently upon the frame.

10. In a vehicle, "a' hollow body, av frame inclosed within saidbody'having longitudinally-spaced standards, ent connections'between theupper ends of said standards and the lower parts of the body on eachside thereof, the body being suspended in equilibrium thereby on thestandards.

' Signed at Waterloo, Iowa, this 20th day of April, 1916. A GEORGECOLVIN KENNEDY.

Witnesses: I

PEARL MARIE STANTON, C. C. LINDNER.

and having the forand yieldable resili-

